Envy
by KitKatt0430
Summary: Oneshot This wasn't what either of them wanted. Lok wanted to be a hero Tak wanted anything else. Yet, despite the mutual envy, they remain friends.


Disclaimer I don't own any of the Tak games. Well… technically I own copies of them that I can play on my Gamecube… but you know what I mean.

A/N The games just seem to brush over the fact that Tak usurped Lok's place as the Chosen hero. Fortunately, Lok may not be bright, but he's sweet. Here's my take on the Pupanunu heroes.

_**Envy**_

Sometimes it was hard not to hate the little guy, though he always managed not to. Tak wasn't at fault, after all. If anything, Lok understood fate better than anyone else did. It was Tak's destiny to be the great warrior of the Pupanunu village… without the extensive training that Lok had received.

It just wasn't fair, though. "I was the one they trained; I was the one they proclaimed would fulfill the prophecy. Now I'm the one they laugh at…" Lok let out an annoyed sigh and sat down on his cot. A week and a half had passed since Tak had fulfilled the prophecy, defeated Tlaloc, and saved the Moon Juju. In such a short time, everything had changed.

The door to Lok's house swung open and the source of Lok's unhappiness raced in, shutting the door firmly behind him. "Lok, please, I need your help. Let me stay here for a little while, please?" Tak spoke in a rush, his eyes wide and pleading.

"Woah, slow down little buddy. What's wrong?" Lok motioned for Tak to walk over.

"It's like everyone in the village has forgotten I'm just Tak," the child warrior explained in a much calmer voice. "They keep coming up to me and asking to shake my hand and bless them and… don't they remember I'm just Tak?"

"It'll die down sooner or later, I'm sure," Lok said, feeling rather perplexed. He'd been looking forward to the hero worship; why did Tak hate it so much? "Why don't you enjoy the attention while you have the chance?"

"They're treating me like a stranger, though. I can't stand it! You and Jibolba seem to be the only ones to treat me normally." Tak wandered around the room for a few moments before walking over and sitting next to Lok. "I wish you'd fulfilled the Pupanunu prophecy, Lok."

"W-what? Why? I thought everyone wanted to be the great warrior foretold by the seers of our tribe!"

"I never did. I played the games with the other kids my age, but… all I really wanted was to learn magic from Jibolba. That was always so much fun…" Tak trailed off tiredly. "Can I hide here from the rest of the village for a little while?"

"Uh… sure. I don't see why not." Lok gestured to the room, "my home is your home. Unless you decide to move in; then it's just my home again. I kinda like privacy…"

Tak grinned and laughed. "Don't worry, Lok. I wouldn't dream of invading your home on a permanent basis." The kid almost said something else, but he broke off and brought a hand to his mouth to cover a yawn.

"Haven't you been getting enough sleep? I mean, I can fall asleep anywhere at anytime… but you've never been like that, have you?"

"No…" Tak hid another yawn and continued. "I just haven't been sleeping well since the whole thing with Tlaloc. I know he's a sheep now; but… in my dreams I'm always failing where I really succeeded and Tlaloc completely destroys the village. He kills everyone… me, Jibolba, you… everyone."

Lok surveyed Tak in the sudden quiet. A kid, no matter how serious, shouldn't have to shoulder all that responsibility. _If I can't be the hero like I wanted and Tak can't not be the hero like he wanted… I'll just have to make sure he remembers how to act silly, have fun, and stay normal. _"You can stick around at my place for as long as you want, Tak. You should get some sleep, though. No use hiding from your fame if you're to sleepy to know how to evade the crowd."

Tak nodded and curled up on the edge of the cot, falling asleep almost instantly. He only took up maybe a third of the cot and looked so determined, even in sleep.

Lok stood up and found a chair to sit in. He peeked out the window by pushing aside the window shades. The other members of the Pupanunu tribe milled about aimlessly for the most part, though a few seemed to be looking for someone. Lok dropped the shades and settled further into his chair. "If I were the hero, I'd be out there getting all the attention I could. Maybe that's why it isn't me…" giving a soft laugh, he added, "just because he's the warrior doesn't mean I can't protect him, too."

"I envy him; he envies me. What a weird world this is."

A/N Maybe the heroes of the world are the ones who don't wait for heroes. That definitely applies to Tak.

While this may seem sort of out of character for Lok, I don't think it is. In the Great Juju Challenge, there's one cutscene where Lok stops for a few moments and gets rather reflective and introspective. He does have his serious moments, just not that often.


End file.
